In a recent Psychology Today article, “One Parent Can Do Just as Good a Job as Two, Women Say,” Bella DePaulo shared findings from Family Story’s national survey of about 1,000 women. As DePaulo reported, the online survey found that “more than 70% of participants believed that a single parent can do just as good a job as two parents.” This included 70% of married women (with and without kids), as well as 78% of unmarried moms. Additionally, more than 60% of the women “agreed that children do best with multiple adults invested and helping, but that two married parents are not necessary.”

Commenting on the results, Family Story’s co-founder and director, Nicole Rodgers said, “The family is always evolving, and what we are seeing in this survey, in part, reflects women’s liberation from one narrow path. That’s a good thing.”

But is it really a “good thing” that a majority of women believe “one parent can do just as good a job as two” or that married parents are unnecessary? These findings should disturb us, especially since it’s women and children who suffer the most from the absence of marriage.